Weather Modification Played No Role in Texas Floods

Unfounded rumors linking an extreme weather event to human efforts to control the weather are again spreading on social media. It’s not plausible that available weather modification techniques caused or influenced the July 4 flash flooding along the Guadalupe River in Texas.

The flooding, which is known to have killed at least 134 people, including at least 37 children, as of July 15, occurred after remnants of a tropical storm moved north and stalled over a region known as “Flash Flood Alley” that is prone to flash flooding due to its terrain. Experts have said that climate change likely played a role in worsening the rain.

However, popular social media posts implied without evidence that the Texas flooding resulted from attempts to modify the weather. Some posts, including ones amplified by former Trump national security adviser and retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, made an unfounded suggestion that cloud seeding by a particular company may have caused the flooding.